Union wants court to probe Fiskville cancer claims

The United Firefighters Union says its legal advice supports its call for a coronial investigation into claims Country Fire Authority trainees were exposed to carcinogens at the Fiskville facility near Ballan.

There are allegations up to 17 people have suffered cancer since training at the centre in the 1970s and '80s.

The union's national secretary, Peter Marshall, says the claims are too serious to be handled solely by an internal investigation.

He says reports on chemical use at Fiskville may need to be subpoenaed.

"What we're talking about here is an activity that went on and a practice that went on that has wide-ranging effects," he said.

"It's not a blame game but what has been stated needs to be tested in a court of law or in some judicial system but also with the power of subpoenaing documentation."